Overture Fantastique

Description

Overture Fantastique

Duration: 7′

Commissioned by Louis Martinus and HAFABRA Music

Instrumentation:

piccolo, flute 1-2, oboe 1-2, English horn, bassoon 1-2
Eb clarinet, 2 solo Bb clarinets, clarinet 1-3, Bass clarinet
Alto saxophone 1-2, Tenor saxophone, Baritone saxophone

Bb trumpet 1-4, French horn 1-4, trombone 1-2, Bass trombone
euphonium 1-2, tuba (minimum 2 players)Double bass
Timpani + 4 percussion

Percussion instrumentation:
Percussion 1: marimba, snare drum, xylophone, cymb. a2
Percussion 2: glockenspiel, marimba, snare drum, triangle, ride cymb.
Percussion 3: chimes, ride cymb., wood block, cymb. a2, triangle, snare drum, hi-hat (closed), sus. cymb.
Percussion 4: bass drum, cymb. a2, snare drum, tam-tam, ride cymb., tambourine

Program Notes:

Overture Fantastique was written in a response to a request to create a fresh take on a known form. The form will reveal
itself readily: opening introductory material, followed by up-tempo spirited main material, a reprise (but enlarged) of
the opening material, and an off-we-go coda. Somewhat a creature of tradition, I welcomed the challenge of adding my voice
to a tried-and-true format, and I hope players and listeners alike will enjoy the new harmonic and orchestrational twists of
the 21st century, versus when something like this otherwise might have been created.

Thank you very much to my new Belgian friend Louis Martinus for the invitation to compose such a work;
the French title is an homage to the conversations I had with him in discussing how this all might unfold.

— Jim Stephenson; May, 2025